ISU will monitor QB’s health during practice this week

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads expects Sam Richardson to be the starting quarterback this week when the Cyclones visit Kansas State. Richardson sat out the second half of Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State with a neck and upper back injury. Rhoads says they will follow Richardson through the week and make sure he is 100 percent before making a decision.

Rhoads says the players know they need to win the remainder of their games to go to a bowl game. “They know the math, simple math, 5 games gets us to 6 and that gets us to a bowl game, so that’s not something they have to talk about,” Rhoads says.

Rhoads says it takes a great week of practice to be successful against Kansas State. He says the Wildcats are meticulous in what they do to try and take advantage of you, so they have to be prepared to try and win in Manhattan for the first time in 5 years.

Rhoads says keeping the Cyclones motivated will not be a problem but it takes more than just fiery speeches. He says the team is mature enough to understand that college football is not a fairy tale. “You win by having great preparation and execution,” Rhoads says.